Goodwill Honors

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Bonnie Bagley, Liz Hamilton, Rolf Houtkooper, Sandy DeMartino

At last night’s reception of the ACBL Aileen Osofsky Goodwill Committee, local organizers Liz Hamilton and husband Rolf Houtkooper were honored for their many contributions to the club and tournament scene in Las Vegas and District 17.
Goodwill chair Sandy DeMartino hosted the reception, and she opened the speaker portion of the event with a reminder that the members of the committee “are a family, a community who cares about each other,” and whose mission is to preach the principles of good behavior at the table.

Russ Jones, Sandy DeMartino and Joe Jones

ACBL Executive Director Joe Jones was on hand to deliver related comments, stressing the need to “get back to basics, namely good behavior and an ethical approach” to the game, noting that the alternatives are damaging to public perception and member retention.
ACBL President Russ Jones continued the theme, saying “Goodwill is the No. 1 way we help our membership.”
DeMartino returned to the mic to introduce to District 17 Board member Bonnie Bagley.
“As the host director, I get to recognize volunteers who have gone beyond the call of duty to make the game better for everyone. Liz Hamilton moved to Las Vegas in 2012 and hit the ground running. In 2014, she became the I/N partnership chair for District 17. In 2015, she agreed to be part of the San Diego NABC tournament committee. She has chaired several Las Vegas Regionals, she runs a club and she teaches on cruises with her husband, Rolf Houtkooper. And this year, she’s the chair of the Las Vegas NABC.”
Bagley presented Hamilton with a certificate of appreciation for Hamilton’s many bridge-related endeavors. She then invited Houtkooper to join them at the mic.
“I recognize people who rise above in our game, and Rolf is one of those people,” she said.
Bagley then presented Hamilton and Houtkooper with Goodwill pins, making them part of the national Goodwill Committee and the District 17 Goodwill Committee.